Inspired by his vast collection of popular art, architect and designer Alexander Girard created the Wooden Dolls for his own home in Santa Fe, for his personal use only. In between a decorative object and a toy, Wooden Dolls are now available to the general public, to enrich your interior design. The Wooden Dolls are part of the internationally recognised Vitra Design Museum collection and are exhibited in many museums and design galleries. These little dolls, hand-made and hand-painted in solid pine wood, are sold in their printed wooden case. The Wooden Dolls will undoubtedly charm you, whether you have one or several, because these unusual objects are, according to the designer: “a microcosm of the human world and dreams, they represent fantasy, imagination, humour and love”.
Born in 1907 in New York, Alexander Girard is one of the emblematic figures of post-war American design. Trained as an architect, he remained in the shadows for a long time before becoming head of the fabrics and textiles division of publisher Herman Miller, for whom he created a multitude of brightly coloured fabrics with a strong taste for geometric patterns and abstract shapes. These inspirations have their roots in travels and discoveries around the world. He was also friends with designers George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames. Alexander Girard stands out not only for his furniture designs, but also for his series of quirky wooden figures known as "Wooden Dolls" or "Figurine Dolls". Now published by Vitra, his work is still echoing. In 1962, with the help of his wife, he created the Girard Foundation, listing a collection of over 100,000 pieces. When he died in 1993, his heirs donated his archive of sketches, prototypes and samples to the Vitra Design Museum.
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VITRA
Vitra was founded in 1950 by Willi Fehlbaum and Erika Fehlbaum. The design furniture company Vitra is based near Basel, Switzerland. Starting in 1981, the design brand Vitra grew and opened many subsidiaries worldwide. The founders had spotted Eames Lounge Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames during a trip to New York, USA. They were immediately captivated and therefore requested a license to produce these pieces of furniture in Europe. In 1956, Vitra acquired this license, which became one of the keys to the brand's success.